Belly heat or back heat?

What would you use on a rack belly heat or back heat and why?

belly heat rocks! it is more efficient than back heat and you don't have to turn up the stat as high to get your desired temps. on a rack, belly heat with a proportional stat and your set!


vaughn

Belly heat all the way! Heat rises.....it does not go side to side ;)

is belly heat the same as heat tape?

Bellyheat!!!! It is a form of heat.. Putting your flexwatt or whatever element your using under the cage/tub makes belly heat.. Basically any heat the animal can lay on is belly heat...

belly heat is heat from the bottom of the enclosure...so ya....heat tape can provide belly heat if placed on the bottom of an enclosure :)

Belly heat is more effective. Back heat is something you settle for.

And keep in mind that back heat isn't referring to heating the animal's back by comparison...it's basically a short cut, IMO.

K~

get someone to "shoot" you with a hairdryer from about 5 ft. away. then get someone to "shoot" you with a hairdryer from about 5 ft. away while being OVER it (might be kinda difficult). you'll know your answer then :)

I have a question about this. I am currently heating from the back and it seems to be working fine but there is no real "belly heat". Given what I have available right now in my rack I'm wondering what others thought about this: Rather than running flexwatt under one end of the tubs (2 tubs wide in rack). Is there any reason I shouldn't run that peice of flexwatt along the bottom *inbetween the two tubs? I have just 3" flexwatt and it keeps the tubs warm...but its cranked up there. So I'm thinking if I move it inbetween the tubs along the floor of each shelf it may be more beneficial/efficient?

http://warrenreptiles.com/temp/RackHeat.jpg

If you can move it than I woudl say go for it.. :) Belly heat will be more efficent for sure

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TekWarren

I have a question about this. I am currently heating from the back and it seems to be working fine but there is no real "belly heat". Given what I have available right now in my rack I'm wondering what others thought about this: Rather than running flexwatt under one end of the tubs (2 tubs wide in rack). Is there any reason I shouldn't run that peice of flexwatt along the bottom *inbetween the two tubs? I have just 3" flexwatt and it keeps the tubs warm...but its cranked up there. So I'm thinking if I move it inbetween the tubs along the floor of each shelf it may be more beneficial/efficient?

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Would probably be better to run 3" heat tape parallel to the back under the rear 1/3 of the tubs. .... I wouldn't think that you'd get much efficiency from running the tape "in between".

-adam

The reason I thought about running it down the middle is that I would heat more area of the tub. The tubs are close enough together that they both would be somewhat over the heat tape.

My worry about running it parallel to the back under the tubs is that it would be such a small area of actual belly heat...granted more than they have now.


hrm...

Wait you ment to put it inbetween the tubs? Ok I need a reading tudur..lol..

see edit above, it would be between the two tubs but they are pretty tight in the rack. I guess I'll have to see how much of the tape is actually under them while its in the middle...or should not even bother and just run it parallel under the back 1/3 as suggested? (not to second guess Adam) I'm just concerned that its only a 3" area but I guess it would still be more efficient since it would be radiating directly into the tubs...

My adult tubs are 33 inches long and each have a 3" strip of heat tape running "the short way" across the back 1/3 of the tub .... been doing it that way for years.

-adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

My adult tubs are 33 inches long and each have a 3" strip of heat tape running "the short way" across the back 1/3 of the tub .... been doing it that way for years.

-adam

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That is the standard way FB heats their racks right? I have been shopping around for larger racks and was looking into the 10 tub CB-70 FB rack...so I have been trying to figure out the heating situation.

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

That is the standard way FB heats their racks right? I have been shopping around for larger racks and was looking into the 10 tub CB-70 FB rack...so I have been trying to figure out the heating situation.

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Yes.

Not sure about the 10 tub rack ... it's a "tall" rack, so the heat panels might be different.

-adam

I think it is pretty much the same as the 30 tub rack....just one column of tubs though.... like I said...I am trying to figure it out :)

This one: http://www.freedombreeder.com/cage.php?cageID=23

I just snapped these real quick so excuse the tool clutter..lol
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/justcage/4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/justcage/3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/justcage/2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/justcage/1.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

I think it is pretty much the same as the 30 tub rack....just one column of tubs though.... like I said...I am trying to figure it out :)

This one: http://www.freedombreeder.com/cage.php?cageID=23

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Give Jesse a call over at Freedom Breeder ... he is THE BEST when it comes to customer service in the caging industry! .... He will definitely help you out.

-adam

thanks for the info Adam and Matt...I have some changing around to do this weekend but it should take no time at all.

I have a AP rack with belly heat and a q-tine rack with flexwatt back heat......the back heat works OK for the 15qt tubs in the qtine rack, but the belly heat in the AP rack actually gives a nice thermal gradient. The flexwatt really has to kick butt in order to keep the temps up for ball pythons.

the back heat does however keep a NICE gradient from 80 cool to 88 warm- perfect for the leopard gecko hatchlings i'm anticipating this summer.